Seaview
Seaview is situated on the North-Eastern corner of the Isle of Wight which is an attractive area that is very popular with tourists and yachting fraternity. Seaview’s reputation has been built on its panoramic sea views and great sandy beaches, whilst also providing many easily accessible areas for the launching of boats. This means that during the summer months the village becomes a busy centre for sailing and water sports as well as offering many sailing events throughout the year.
The main village centre is home to a couple of shops, bars, an art gallery and restaurants, of which you should definitely try Ruby’s with their fantastic cocktails and fine food. There are also a couple of great cafes that offer a good selection of foods throughout the day and into the evening, Lily’s Café is a real delight and definitely worth a visit. The Old Fort and The Boathouse are a couple of pubs offering great food with outside seating available and beautiful sea views.
Seaview Wildlife Park is a hidden gem, it is a place for all the family to enjoy and try out their café offering fresh local Island produce. A real focal point is the involvement of guests being encouraged to join in with various daily wildlife events that are led by a dynamic animal care team who deliver fun hands-on presentations and introduce you to the most amazing characters and a vast array of unbelievably tame feathered and furry friends!
Puckpool Park, built within a former Victorian Fortification Battery, it has tennis courts, mini-golf and a children’s play area as part of its beautiful gardens. The café on site provides a full menu offering something tasty for all ages and also offers a selection of wines, beers and cocktails.
Seaview Beach provides the ideal launch platform for boats and water sports, and there is a yacht club down on its front. The village sits directly behind here which contains several boutique style shops, some of which are seasonal.
Further down the coast Seagrove beach is possibly the most popular beach in the area and offers gently sloping golden sands for swimming and other activities when the tide is out.
The sea wall to the rear of this beach is very popular for walks along to Priory Bay Beach, which has further great views and shallow sands.
A level walk runs through from Seaview along the esplanade to Appley Tower and Puckpool Park, passing the boating lake, ice rink, ten-pin bowling, pitch and putt, fairground, cafes, gardens and children’s play area where you will come to the larger town of Ryde. This is classed as the gateway to the Island, where the catamaran from Portsmouth docks at the end of the pier and a connecting train can take you between Ryde and Shanklin.
Seagrove Bay
The one closest to the centre of Seaview is called Seagrove Bay and is just to the south of the centre. This is a long, gently sloping, sandy beach that runs for several hundred meters. There is a small cafe and shop for beach side refreshments, however the town is quite close by if want more choice.
Priory Bay Beach
This less well known beach is beyond Seagrove Bay and is about a 20min walk from Seaview around the headland. This sandy beach is known to for it’s peaceful seclusion and gently sloping sandy beach. There are no facilities at the beach so you will have to bring a picnic or walk back into Seaview.
Ryde Sands at Seaview
The Ryde Sands, a large sand bank south of Ryde, extends down to form a sandy beach to the north of the centre of Seaview. This beach is several hundred metres long and goes all the way to Puckpool Point. The beach here is fairly quiet compared with Seagrove Bay at the Seaview end as there are no cafes, or facilities behind the beach. However, it is only a short walk into town to find refreshment.
At the north end of the beach, near Puckpool Point there is an historic battery (Puckpool Battery) behind which there is a shop/cafe and toilet facilities.